Fort Collins, Colorado-based phil&teds is voluntarily recalling approximately 22,000 jogging strollers sold in the United States, and about 7,200 in Canada due to amputation and laceration hazards. However, unlike most defective product recalls, the strollers do not seem to pose a hazard to the child placed in the stroller, but to the consumer.
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Toyota certainly didn’t ask for the trouble they’re in, but they’re getting it anyway. Ten months after the initial Toyota accelerator recalls, the company’s woes continue. Since January, the car maker has also instituted recalls for several more models due to faulty brake and steering systems. In fact, as of the end of October, Toyota had put eight recalls into effect over the previous six months, and over the last 13 months, has issued more than 12 million recall notices around the world. The first class action trial hasn’t even begun, but they can certainly expect to see more in the near future.

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Four infants died of strangulation in Graco brand strollers, prompting the company to recall approximately two million of its strollers this month. More than 80 models were part of the Graco recall, which the company instituted voluntarily after learning of the four infant deaths. The deaths occurred between 2003 and 2005, and it’s not clear why it took so long for the company to take action.

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It’s every parent’s nightmare — their child being injured by a seemingly innocuous toy. Parents trust that the items they pick up from store shelves have been thoroughly tested, and are safe to give their children. When one of those items causes injury or illness, not only is it a stressful situation for parents to deal with, they may also feel a sense of guilt. After all, they’re the ones who bought the toy and gave it to their child, not knowing it was dangerous. It’s unfortunate, but many times the only way toy manufacturers learn that a product they produced is dangerous is after an injury has already occurred and is reported. The usual course of action in these instances is a recall of the product. This seems to have been happening with more frequency lately, most recently when Fisher-Price had to recall more than 10 million products.

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On April 13, 2010, Consumer Reports announced it was giving the Lexus GX 460 sport utility vehicle (SUV) a Do Not Buy rating. This is a rare occurrence. The Do Not Buy rating for the Lexus SUV is the first one issued in nine years. The last one was for the 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Limited. Consumers Union, the nonprofit organization that publishes the Consumer Reports magazine and Web site, has labeled just 12 cars with this extreme rating over the last 31 years.

In test drives, Consumer Reports engineers discovered that when the GX 460 was pushed to its limits, the rear of the vehicle would slide out until it was nearly sideways before the electronic stability control system kicked in and righted the vehicle. They believe this means the vehicle is in danger of rolling over in certain real-world driving situations.

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Like many pet owners, you probably do your best to ensure your dog or cat is well taken care of. You schedule regular vet visits, you keep their vaccinations up to date, you make sure they get plenty of play and exercise, and you feed them the best food possible. But when it turns out the food you’ve so carefully chosen for your pet is somehow tainted, and then becomes the target of a nationwide recall, it can be a very upsetting experience.

Nature’s Variety recently issued, and then expanded a nationwide recall of some of their raw food product lines, specifically their Chicken Formula Raw Frozen Diets for dogs and cats, because they may be contaminated with Salmonella.

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After nearly a week with no word about the defective accelerator pedal, Toyota announced on Monday, that they would begin to ship parts to dealers and begin training staff to perform the repairs. Many dealers, frustrated with Toyota’s delays and lack of information have promised consumers to work round the clock to make the repairs.

The repair, which should only take about a half an hour, involves installing a steel shim in the pedal assembly which should eliminate the excess friction between the two pieces of the accelerator mechanism. Toyota claims that this friction is what causes the pedal to either stick in a depressed position or to return slowly to the idle position. The faulty gas pedal only includes parts manufactured by CTS Corporation in Elkhart, Indiana. The recall on the floor mats can be fixed at the same time. Although, Toyota asks that owners wait for a recall letter before contacting their dealer for appointments, some dealers plan to contact every buyer of a recalled model to explain and schedule the repair.

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In an unprecedented move, Toyota suspended sales of eight of its recalled models including two of its most popular models, the Camry and Corolla. Additionally, Toyota has shut down production at five of its manufacturing plants as the company assesses the damage and comes up with a game plan.

From Toyota’s website:
“Helping ensure the safety of our customers and restoring confidence in Toyota are very important to our company,” said Group Vice President and Toyota Division General Manager Bob Carter. “This action is necessary until a remedy is finalized. We’re making every effort to address this situation for our customers as quickly as possible.”

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After months of consumer complaints and at least four deaths, Toyota announced a recall of approximately 2.3 million cars that may potentially have a faulty accelerator pedal.

Recently, there have been reports of gas pedals sticking in an accelerated position. Toyota claims this is a rare occurrence that occurs when the pedal mechanism becomes worn and becomes harder to depress, slower to return to its original position and at worst, stuck in the partially depressed position.

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According to The Consumer Product Safety Commission, there have been 555 ATV fatalities in 2006. Of those 555 deaths, 111 were in children under the age of sixteen. In the same year, there were 146,000 reported injuries of which just under 40,000 were children under sixteen. The CPSC estimates that these figures are low, as they expect to receive additional ATV accident reports.

The Yamaha Rhino was introduced in 2003 and despite the growing number of Yamaha Rhino ATV rollover accidents, Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA refuses to issue a recall. Even though there have been reports hundreds of injuries and even deaths, there has still yet to be a recall on this vehicle. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that there’s something wrong with those numbers.

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